ISOLATION AND PROPERTIES OF POLYPHENOL OXIDASE FROM BASIDIOCARPS OF Lactarius pergamenus Fr. (Fr.) FUNGI

Fresh juice of basidiocarps of Lactarius pergamenus Fr. (Fr.) fungi was subjected to ion exchange chromatography with used DEAE-toyopearl and CM-cellulose columns, as well as preparative electrophoresis in 7.5% polyacrylamide gels (pH 8.6). Three isoforms of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) were discovered and two isoforms (1-l and 1-2) were purified with a release of protein 0.42 mg/kg and 0.15 mg/kg of basidiocarps, respectively. These isoforms differ in the mobility at disc-electrophoresis in 7.5% PAGE in alkaline buffer system (pH 8.6). Specfic activity of isoform 1-2 is 4.8 times higher than that of the isoforms 1-1. The molecular weight determination by gel chromatography on the Toyopearl HW-55 demonstrated that both isoforms 1-1 and 1-2 have the same 64 ± 2 kDa molecular mass. Electrophoresis in 15% PAGE in the presence of sodium dodecylsulphate and β-mercaptoethanol revealed one band with molecular mass of 64 ± 1 kDa which suggests the presence of one polypeptide chain in the molecule ofthe enzyme. The enzyme has demonstrated the highest activity at pH 6.0 and temperature +10 °C, and at +70 °C the enzyme was inactivated. The PPO activity was the highest in young mushrooms and it decreased with their age and positively correlated with the content ofthe milky juice. Ortho-aminophenol was most effective among all the tested substrates to determine the activity of PPO (o-, m- and p-aminophenol, catechol, tyrosine, resorcinol, phloroglucinol) and its relative activity was 129% of the activity of catechol. Ascorbic acid was the most effective inhibitor of the polyphenol oxidase activity which was completely blocked at 1 mM concentration, whereas the same concentration of thiourea and sodium sulphite decreased the enzymatic activity by 40-45%. The PPO in L. pergamenus fungi basidiocarps was mainly localized in the mushroom milky juice where its high activity may be associated with protection of basidiocarps against various pathogens.